MS Dunnottar Castle was a British-built passenger ship with a career of more than six decades that included periods as an ocean liner, an armed merchant cruiser (AMC), a troop ship and several decades as a cruise ship. As a cruise ship she was renamed Victoria, then The Victoria and finally Princesa Victoria. Harland and Wolff built Dunnottar Castle and her sister ship in Belfast in 1936. Union-Castle Line operated Dunnottar Castle on scheduled services between Tilbury and South Africa until 1939, when the Admiralty requisitioned her and commissioned her as HMS Dunnottar Castle. From 1949 to 1958 she served again on Union-Castle's liner route between Britain and South Africa. The ship's long career in cruising began in 1958 in the ownership of the Incres Steamship Company, who had her extensively remodelled and renamed her Victoria. Clipper Line bought her in 1964 and sold her in 1975 to Chandris Lines, who modified her name to The Victoria. In 1993 Louis Cruise Lines bought her and renamed her Princesa Victoria. The ship was laid up from 2002 and scrapped in India in 2004. Building and pre-war service In 1935 Union-Castle ordered a pair of "intermediate" passenger liners for its service between Britain and South Africa. Harland and Wolff laid down the two ships with the consecutive yard numbers 959 and 960. Union-Castle policy was to name its ships after British castles. Hull 959 was launched on 25 January 1936, taking its name from Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire. She was completed on 27 June 1936. Hull 960 was launched on 26 March, and was named after Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. Dunnottar Castle was a motor ship with two-stroke marine diesel engines. They developed a total of 1,931 NHP and drove twin screws, giving her a speed of . She had accommodation for 258 first class and 250 tourist class passengers. Except for her after hold, her cargo holds were refrigerated. Dunnottar Castle began her maiden voyage from Southampton to Cape Town in July 1936. On her return she began her regular service between Tilbury and South Africa, and also as supply ship for Saint Helena. Armed merchant cruiser At the outbreak of the Second World War the Admiralty requisitioned Dunnottar Castle, had her converted into an AMC and commissioned her as HMS Dunnottar Castle. BL 6 inch Mk XII naval guns were fitted as her primary armament. Her secondary